


Better At Keeping Secrets

by iamnojedi



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-01-19 09:18:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12407538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamnojedi/pseuds/iamnojedi
Summary: Ahsoka Tano is being kept at ARCA barracks because she's not telling everything she knows.





	1. Barracks? More like a prison.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first post here, and I've been trying to figure out what to start with. So, here's this!

Nine days. She’d kept count, it’d been nine days since she’d returned to Coruscant. Nine days since her feet touched home again. 

She hadn’t been back to the Temple yet, much to the dismay and loud argument of Skyguy. Master Zey had simply explained to Masters Skywalker, Kenobi, Windu and Yoda, that it simply wouldn’t be the best idea to return her to the Temple until she was **fully debriefed**. That told her he thought she was lying when she said _she had nothing else to tell them_. 

It hadn’t been a complete lie, she had had nothing else to tell them, _plural_. She didn’t have anything further to tell Master Zey. He and his.. _aide_ , Captain Maze, as she’d been introduced to him left her in that interrogation room. Ahsoka stared at the ceiling for a long time, it felt like forced meditation, she started to wonder if the durasteel was breathing. “I’ve gotta get out of here.” She mumbled as she paced to the window, then to the door, knocking heavily. 

The door slid open and she was greeted by a different person, _a different captain_. Blue eyes stared up at his face, “I was expecting Captain Maze.”

“He has other priorities.” 

 _Other than to babysit me_ , she knew. “I’ve not eaten since yesterday, I’m hungry.” She wasn’t hungry, but she hadn’t eaten.

“By your own doing, I hear.” Did he sound amused? There was a brief look in his eyes that said _yes_.

 _Hmm_. “Where’s Master Zey keeping my shattergun?” _My blaster, the one given to me, its mine. The Jedi won’t take it from me_. That was problematic thinking if a Jedi sensed her.

The sharp change of subject didn’t phase him as he pointed, gesturing with one hand for her to go ahead of him. “What gun? I was under the impression the Jedi didn’t like guns.”

“What’s your name, Captain?” She wasn’t entirely in the mood to answer a hundred questions anymore.

Without a pause, “Ordo.”

A step faltered, she glanced over her shoulder at him, distracted by the brief memory of the datachip she still had hidden. The datachip addressed to _Ordo Skirata_. “Named for someone, I bet.”

He raised a brow, that look of amusement in his eyes again, but also curiosity this time.

Her shoulders lifted in a shrug as she turned, walking backwards until he stopped by the door to the mess hall. He was waiting for her to enter first. The blue of her eyes lightened, it dawned on her why. She didn’t think it was because of rank, mostly because he didn’t supply information like her troops would have. “Do you know why Master Zey won’t let me go back to the Temple?”

A deep inhale made it sound like he didn’t want to have this conversation anymore, but after a moment, “he believes you’re hiding something.”

 _He’s not wrong_ , but she’d keep that to herself. “And he thinks someone else can get me to talk about it?” Her head tilted as she stepped into the line where food was dispensed, leaning on her tip toes to look over the divider. The droid had a better view of her, but she spoke anyway, “Togruta species.” It only processed a moment longer before serving her the strictly carnivorous diet. She smiled, kindly, no show of teeth, at Ordo, “if he thinks that person will be _you_ , he is wrong.” She took the food from the droid and started toward a table.

Ordo followed, “sounds like he’s right to think you’re hiding something.”

There was almost a Jedi-like tone to his comment, reminded her of the Masters and their way of leading a conversation. She’d learned it and done it many times. Sitting at one of the tables, she picked at her food before smiling at him. She could keep secrets like any other Jedi, the problem was that they both _knew_ she was. Her smile faded after a few seconds as she reached up, pulling the headdress off her head, she picked apart one of the plated teeth to pull out the datachip. Sliding it toward him, still with writing of _his name_. “I hope you can help me deliver this to the person it belongs to.” Drawing her hand back, she put her headdress back where her montrals met her forehead.

She had started eating by the time he decided to reach for it, looking around the mess hall for the barracks, she’d been stuck either in what seemed like a cell or the interrogation room for the last two weeks. This was a nice change of pace. 

 **Day thirteen**. This was the second time she’d been escorted to the mess hall to eat, instead of being locked up in what she was certain was actually a cell. This was the second time she got to have a lovely chat with the Captain Ordo. In the Force, he had a very different feel than any of the troops she’d met before being brought to Arca Barracks. He had the same baseline smell however, the storm.. his specifically smelled like the storms before their spiral funnel touched the ground.

“How did you come about that datachip?”

A brow lifted, she was picking at the food on her plate, what was left of it at least. “I found it.” The truth, she’d been back on _The Resolute_ , undressing but that wasn’t important now. The datachip had fallen out of her boot. “Was it for _you_?”

He was actually eating this time, he just looked at her for a second, “did _you_ try to read it?”

There was a moment of an innocent look on her face, then she smirked. “Don’t you get tired of mess hall food? I bet you know of some great places out in the city.”

“ _Ord’ika_!”

“That’s a pointless endeavor, _Commander_ Tano.” His eyes moved toward the voice, _away from her_. 

 _Ord’ika_ , she had heard that before when she’d pretended she barely spoke Basic for the first week she’d been captive. She followed Ordo’s shift in gaze toward the voice calling to him, turning on her bench to look. In the Force, the signature felt oddly familiar, _intimate_. Like she knew it very well. The emotions that hung tightly balled under the surface. The way it _pulled_. White brows furrowed as she stared at the two approaching, there were enough smells and sounds in this barracks to set her senses haywire. It was hard to pick out his sent until he got closer. There must have been a suspicious look on her face as she watched both strangers greet Ordo.

She had noticed the difference in size when she’d first met Ordo and how much she knew about the 501st. Looking at the other two, she could tell they were of the same enhanced stock as the captain. She was still staring, hadn’t realized it was to the point of being rude.

“What’s up,  _Princess_? Cat got your tongue?” The tone in his voice, the way he said the words, the way his lips tilting seemed familiar. Those gave him away.

Habit caused her voice to weigh down with venom, baring her sharp teeth at him, “I am not your princess.” Nobody called her that. Well, one person called her _Princess_ , but he was across the galaxy and surely hadn’t told any Republic troopers.

Ordo’s knuckles rapped on the table, drawing her attention partly away from the trooper who thought it was funny to call her _princess_. “Don’t agitate the commander.”

Agitated was a good way to describe her. If she’d had fur, it’d be standing on end and her teeth were still bared at him. Slowly relaxing. It was one thing to be surrounded by varying smells of storms, she was used to that with her own troops, but to sit there and smell the monsoon season on Shili. To know he was standing there, with a different face, patronizing her. She forced herself to turn away, to focus her attention and her eyes on the table in front of her, on her tray of food.

He sat on the bench beside her, the other joined Ordo’s side of the table. 

“Name’s Mereel,” his voice drew her eyes up from the table, he even gave her a smile. Then with a little tilt of his head, “Jaing is good at getting under people’s skin.”

“It’s a pleasure, Mereel.” By the end of that greeting, it at least sounded like she might have meant it. Eye narrowed as she focused them on _Jaing_ once more, “Don’t call me princess. My name is _Ahsoka_.” 

“Of course, Princess.”

“Padawan Tano.” The voice came from behind them.

She didn’t have time to scowl at him. Turning, she looked toward Master Zey, eyes wide in both confusion and shock.

“Join me for a walk.” He gestured toward the doorway and the hall beyond it.

“Of course, Master.” Her head dipping in a bow as she used one hand on the table as she stood, other hand resting on Jaing’s shoulder as she leaned. Whispering, “ _Gar klesin as te pitat_.” Then she left him sitting there. She knew who he was, who he had been, his scent gave him away. His Force signature. She didn’t need to keep that a secret anymore, the emotional shift as she walked away caused her to smile slightly. Ahsoka didn’t have to look back, she did anyway.

 


	2. Escape from Corrie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignoring the Ahsoka novel. Ahsoka is instead on Coruscant when O66 happens, stuck with troopers meaning to kill her between herself and Boba. Other means of escape have to be found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm continuing this AU for now because it seems to be the most popular of my posts.

Blue eyes stared at the rising smoke from the temple. "No," she whispered, taking a step forward.

 

"Soka."

 

She heard Boba's voice and stopped, she heard and felt the apology in his tone over the comm.

 

"You _can't_. They'll kill you too."

 

She knew that, but she had to try to save them right? Right?! _I'm not a Jedi anymore_. _They wouldn't accept my help anyway_. The Togruta turned her back and walked away, eyes burning with tears. Even if she could make it inside, would the Council accept her help? Maybe, but also.. She doubted it. She wouldn't test the low percent that they would. She told herself it was the best thing. "What's going on, Boba?"

 

There was a pause, **dead silence** on the other end. "Nothing good, _ori'vod_."

 

His voice was unusually quiet, in her opinion. Ahsoka slowed to a stop, staring at the checkpoint ahead of her. Her hand settled over the kyber crystals hanging around her neck. She hadn't had a change to rebuild her lightsabers more elegantly yet, but nerves caused her to freeze and reconsider her route back to the ships. "Checkpoint.. Are they looking for Je--?" Her voice cut off by the sounds of blaster fire, she could see lightsabers flashing ahead of her on the bridge. She could hear the songs of the crystals. " _They're killing Jedi_.. I can't get through this way."

 

"Give me two minutes. I'll find you another ride."

 

She covered her mouth with her hands. She should help, she shouldn't be so selfish. She shouldn't use this as a chance, but she **did**. She wasn't a Jedi anymore, she was a pirate. A member of Ohnaka's gang, **_the heir to Hondo's legacy_**. Using the Force, she shot forward, passing the line of people waiting, dodging between troopers fighting with.. Other troopers.

 

She faltered, stumbling into a fall, using her hands to catch herself and tumble before a supply crate. _What_? _No, no, keep moving, Ahsoka_. She pushed out of her hiding spot, dodging a stray blaster bolt. Mando armor with a Force signature, she mentally noted, but kept running. "What 'bout that ride, _Bob'ika_?!"

 

Silence again.

 

"Boba?!!" She nearly lost her footing with the speed that she came to a stop with advancing troops.

 

"Head north! Thirty K. As fast as you can!" His voice cut through her brief panic.

 

Turning, she ran the opposite way, passing the end of the bridge she'd just left. "I need a description of what I'm looking for!" She was running blind, if she'd been chasing something by scent, it would have been different.

 

"Look for Mereel. You can't miss him."

 

 _Mereel_. A memory flashed, a smiling trooper who was more jovial than her company at that time. " _Yeah_. I know who that is." Her feet slid across the balcony walkway as she turned the corner, a hand catching herself on the ground as she never slowly down. Blaster fire hit the ground behind her, zoomed passed, hit the wall.

 

It wasn't so much that she saw him, but more that she remembered what he felt like in the Force, and she followed that. And his armor was in sight. A small voice in the back of her mind whispered, _can we trust him_? No.. She trusted four people in the entire universe, and Mereel wasn't one of them, but Boba trusted him in this moment. **_Ahsoka trusted Boba_**.

 

Leaping into the air, Force aided, she landed next to the taller man and followed his gesture into the ship. She didn't hesitate to jump into the opening, moving out of his way as he followed her and shut the hatch behind them. She exhaled slowly, not realizing she'd held her breath, but her next breath in made her freeze. She should have known.

 

"Guest, everybody. Everybody, our guest." Mereel gestured.

 

She watched him hurry to the cockpit before her gaze drifted quickly, not looking at the others, but the source of the scent that made her not want to move. _Jaing_. He'd lied to her when they'd first met, but she'd also lied to him. Both undercover, both looking for information to **help the Republic**.

 

The look on his face must of mirrored her own, it made her wonder if Mereel had told them WHO they were waiting for. "Don-"

 

"Hey princess."

 

Her teeth ground together, the irritation was short lived as she stepped forward quickly, her arms around him tightly. She wanted to be irritated and angry, she hated being called _princess_ ,  she hated that anyone **knew** about that part of her childhood. There was no stopping him, short of death, she supposed. He still smelled the same, that overpowering smell of the monsoon season on Shili.

 

She felt his arms around her more tightly than her own, but she shifted with the force of the ship taking off suddenly. They were running from whatever disaster was happening on Coruscant, and she'd forgotten about it all until.. _Then_. Blinking as her eyes burned, " _they were killing Jedi_.." she whispered, the weight seemed to actually settle on her as she sank to sit beside him.

 

"I know, princess. You're safe with us. I won't let anyone hurt you." He squeezed her against him snuggly.

 

Closing her eyes, she could feel them dying across the galaxy, she couldn't pull herself away from the feeling of it. From the loss of everyone she had known since she was a toddler.

 

His lips touched her forehead, "I promise." Jaing's voice whispered.

 

 _Everyone is dead_. She forced herself away from sensing in the Force, blinking her eyes open as one of his fingers wiped across her cheek. Ahsoka couldn't begin to describe the fear, the heartbreak, and the immense emptiness she was starting to feel. She couldn't remember feeling so alone. "What happened?" She asked, wondering if he'd tell her the truth.

 

"Not now, Soka.." Both hands cupped her jaw, his thumbs wiping her cheeks. He looked _sad_. "It’s a long story."

 

She'd seen him angry, **terrifyingly angry**. She'd seen him happy, and drunk, and she'd even seen, what she was almost certain was, _in love_. But she couldn't remember seeing him look sad. Sharp teeth bit the inside of her cheek, she had time to listen, she guessed, but she didn't push it. Just leaned her head against his shoulder, letting herself mourn the loss of so many lives.


End file.
